It's rough out there on Bermuda's Great Sound, where America's Cup catamarans are staging an inadvertent demolition derby before the competition has even started.
Emirates Team New Zealand's 50-foot catamaran will be in the boat shed for three days to repair the significant damage sustained when it was hit from behind by Sir Ben Ainslie of Britain's Land Rover BAR during a practice race Tuesday.
There were no injuries.
Team CEO Kevin Shoebridge said the Kiwis hope to be back on the water for more practice sailing by Saturday.
The collision happened when Ainslie tried to clear the Kiwis' boat but hit the inside of their port hull with his starboard bow.
The impact left a puncture and also crushed and delaminated about six feet of the Kiwis' hull.
Shoebridge called it "a pretty major repair." He said the team lucked out because the breeze is expected to be light for the next few days.
"We'll make the best of a bad situation and get on with it," Shoebridge said.
"These things happen. We'll get it fixed and get back on the water."
Shoebridge said collisions like this could happen during the competition involving the fast, wing-sailed catamarans, which rise up on hydrofoils when they hit a certain speed and zip across the top of the waves.
Some teams have hit 49 mph.
The elimination series starts May 26 and the America's Cup match begins June 17 between two-time champion Oracle Team USA and the top challenger.
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